Means for storing and launching life-boats.



. SEYMOUR.

MEANS FOR STORING AND LAUNGHING LIFE BOATS.

APPLICATION IILED HAYS, 1912. 1,033,480. Patented July 23, 1912.

2 SHEETfi-SHEET 1.

I AVVENTOR UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY A. SEYMOUR, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

MEANS FOR STORING AND LAUNCI-[ING LIFE-BOATS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. Henna A. SEYMOUR, a citizen of the United States. residing at ll'ashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful linprovements in Means for Storing and Launching Life-Boats; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in means for storing and launching life boats,one object of the invention being to mount life-boats on a ship in such manner that they can be nested to economize space and thus permit the employment of a maximum number of boats, and to provide devices to facilitate the launching of the boats in a manner to permit all the boats of a nest of boats to be manipulated independently or simultaneously and loaded at the same time from two or more decksv A further object is to so construct and arrange launching devices for nested lifeboats that the boats can be lifted out-board and lowered separately, but simultaneously if desired, without danger of binding of the lowering ropes or other movable parts, thus insuring the sure and easy operation of the devices in launching the boats.

With these objects in view. the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and cmnbinations of parts as hereinafter set. forth and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in side elevation of a portion of a steamship )rovide l with my improvement. Fig. 2 is a Similar view showing two lite boats lowered to different decks. Fig. 21 is a transverse vertical section ot one of the rotaay housings ot' the. davits. Fig. 'l is a plan view of" the same. Fig. 5 is a longitw dinal section of two nested lite boats, the lower boat being provided with air and storage comparti'nents beneath it s seats. Fig. 6 illustrates a rotary housing for use in supporting a nest ot three boats. and Fig. 7 shows means for detm-hably securii'tg the seats in place and which will permit the seats ti be folded against the inner surface of the boat when the boats are nested.

1 represents a portion ot' the side of a steamship and Q, Q are davits whi h are supported at their lower ends it )UCkQiS 3, se

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1912.

Application filed May 6, 1912. Serial No 695,434.

cured to deck i and are journalcd in hearings .3 secured to the upper deck (3. The davits are adapted to he rotated so as to swing the lift-boats inboard or outboard in the usual manner. The outer end of each davit is provided with a depending stud or hearing 7, upon which is swircled a cross head or housing 8 in which are journaled the sheaves t), 9. To minimize friction and insure the ready horizontal movement of the boats in swinging them outward in launching, the housings S are each made oi two sections which are secured together by bolts 11 and nuts 12, and between the upper wall 13 of the housing and the flat hearing 14- on the stud 7 are interposed the. ball bearings l5.

1G and 17 represent lite boats one being nested within the other. The lower life boat is carried by the ropes 18, lb, each of which is formed of three bights which pass over sheaves t) in the rotary housings 8, and are provided at their lower ends with blocks 19 each of which is provided with a. hook 20 for engagement with an eye or ring 21 secured at each end of the boat. Instead of the ordinary hook and eye fastening, any other desired fastening which will permit of quick release may be employed. The upper boat is supported by the ropes 22 which are provided at their lower ends with blocks 23 having hooks 24 for attachment to the eyes or rings 25 secured to the opposite. ends of the upper boat. it will thus be seen that two boats thus nested together and occupy ing but little space, are supported by a single pair oi} davits and can be readily swung inboard or outboard, and can be lowered independently. and it desired they may be lowcred t ditl'crent (lo ks so as to permit them to hiozulcil simultaneously when they can be ndependently lowered and launched. To enable the boats to be nested as shown in Fig. l. the lower boat may he provided with detachable seats o'l' any dc: :ed construction. A simple construction of detachable seat is illustrated in Fig. 7. One end of a seat 20 is provided at one end o'l its corners with a. swivclcd eye bolt; 27'whieh is permanently connected w'th the eye of a bolt 29 so cured to the hull or other portion of the boat. The opposite corner of the seat is provided with a hook 30 which is adapted to he dctachably secured to an eye bolt 31, and the opposite end of the seat is provided with hooks 32, 32, which are detachably secured t0 eyes 33, 33 fastened to the boat. When the boats are nested, the seats are folded along their inner sides as repre sented in dotted lines in Fig. 7. After the lowermost boat has been lowered, its seats may be quickly secured in place by turning them into position and causing the hooks at their opposite ends to engage 'le eyes on the interior of the boat.

Fig. 5 illustrates two nested life boats, the upper boat being "furnished with air coinpartnicnts 3-1 at its opposite ends, while the lower boat is provided with compartments 35 beneath its seats some of which may be air compartments and others used for the storage of food, water and supplies.

Fig. 6 shows a rotary housing provided with three sheaves for supporting three life boats nested together.

By supporting two or more life boats nested together from a single pair of davits, and providing each boat with separate and independent tackle for raising, lowering and launching, it permits of a maximum number of boats to be disposed in a minimum longitudinal deck space; it enables the ships entire equipment of life boats to be supported inboard ind in readiness to be swung outboard for launching; it further permits the ships entire equipment of life boats to be carried outboard and in readiness to be independently lowered and launched, and further enables two or more boats carried by a single pair of davits to be simultaneously loaded, and independently 10W- ered and launched.

Having fully described my invention What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

The combination with a plurality of nested. life boats, of two horizontally swinging davits, a horizontally swinging cross head swiveled to the outer end of each davit, a

plurality of sheaves connected to each cross I head, independent hoisting ropes anrf blocks supported by each of said sheaves and connected with the opposite ends of each of the nested boats, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY A. SEYMQUR.-

Witnesses R. S. FERGUSON, S. C. IlILh 

